This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Surgical saw blades of varying sizes, shapes and thicknesses are inserted and removed from surgical saws prior to, sometimes during, and after surgical procedures and must be retained securely to the saw's reciprocating shaft. The variety of available blade types and sizes present challenges that must be overcome to maintain stability of the interface for all blade options as well as to maintain user simplicity for improved operational effectiveness. The saws are often arranged so that the saw blades project axially from the distal end of the saw with a blade retention post or driver positioned laterally within the saw. To accommodate the post, some blades have openings or gaps formed into their proximal ends. For operator simplicity, a saw design is often created to allow use of the various blade embodiments. However, when blades of differing geometry are used (thinner for example), the stability of the saw interface may not be as desirable as with thicker blades due to the increased clearances unless considerations are made in the design of the saw, blade or both. Further, the flexible design must be simple for the user to operate to minimize confusion and improve efficiency in the potentially busy environment of an operating room.
The present disclosure is directed to a surgical system including a blade retention mechanism and a saw blade addressing one or more of the limitations in the prior art.